Maximizing Space....and the planet...

I came across a great article in April 2009 issue of Metropolitan home entitle "Green Arce" that was too good not to share! Architect Heather Johnston uses one of her prefab 2,800 sqaure foot PLACE home designs for a family of five in Kirkland. What a great example of going green & stylish!


Johnston uses durable standing -seam metal and green toned fiber cement siding ( I love the look of the green siding completely makes the exterior pop while relating it to its surround landscape) She the softens the harsh metal with natural cedar on the eye level portion of the home. What looks like "garage doors from the outside" actually open up in a garage door fashion to expose an at home office to the outdoors.



The hub of the house is the communal kitchen/dining/living space mixing contemporary furniture such as Roche Bobois Togo sofa with old world Japanese pieces (such as the chest & hutch in the dining room). The shot of the dining room is my favorite - the homeowner couldn't decide which fabric to use on the Emco Navy chair so she used them all - creating a bright and cheery palette of color. The The top of dining table comes from an old fur tree which they cut down for the table top (as well as the window sills throughout the house) The table sits upon a metal base with wheels allowing it to be rolled out onto the patio as the "garage style doors" retract onto the the ceiling - allowing the interior to connect with the exterior.

Read the full article here! (and see all the pics!)

GO GREEN

HAPPY St. PATRICK'S DAY!!!

{The job of an Interior Designer is to improve the quality of life, increase productivity, and to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public within the spaces they design}

With all the new products out lately helping to promote GREEN DESIGN I thought I would would post some simple alternatives that can help to make SUBSTANTIAL changes in our environment

Many fabric companies are offering "Eco Friendly" fabrics made from recycled and renewable resources. Brentano offers a great line of green products such as there organic cottons, bamboo fabrics, and eco- wool. I also came across a company called Iron Age Grates which make heating registers from recycled cast iron and environmentally friendly oil or powder coat finishes (not to mention some really cool designs). Your typically shower head probably uses 2.5 gallons of water a minute but switching to an aerated shower head that uses 1.5 GPM one person can save 2,500 gallons of water a year! Check out Kohlers Eco - Friendly shower heads, faucets, and toilets. Yolo Paints makes one of the only completely VOC free interior & exterior paints out there. VOC's are those awful smelling toxins that are released into the air every time we paint a space. Many other paint companies also make "Low VOC Paints" as well

Waterfall Bath carries a GREAT line on bath vanities made from formaldehyde free FCS certified woods and finished in low VOC paints. The offer Cesar Stone counter tops or 3-Forms 100%. 100% is a new product from ASI made from 100% post consumer recycled materials. Over 1,000 milk bottles going into making each panel of the material!

Thinking of refinishing your floors? Opt for Bamboo flooring over other wood choices. Bamboo is a rapidly renewing material as Bamboo trees regrow in only a few years. Check ASI for a variety of options. Ripple Products offers fun timers that are water and steam resistant - stick one in your shower to remind you when your 7 minute time limit is up!

Do yo use a wood a pellet stove during the never ending New England winters to heat your home? Gaiam offer an "Eco-Fan" to circulate the warmth throughout your home. The Eco-Fan generates its own electricity using the temperature from the stove. It then draws the cool air from behind the stove to circulate the heat.